Earlier this year, Columba College pupils Annabel Drummond and Modi Deng, and St Hilda's Collegiate School pupil Hannah Kim won the open chamber ensemble class in the Dunedin senior instrumental competition.
Given their recent success, they said they were relieved as much as they were excited because their expectations of each other were high.
Playing as Trio Chopin on Sunday, the ensemble gave an outstanding performance of the third and fourth movements from Chopin's Piano Trio in G minor, which impressed adjudicator Ken Young.
Following a meeting with the adjudicators of the other regional finals throughout New Zealand, up to 12 ensembles will be invited to Wellington to perform in the semifinals on July 30, with a further six groups going on to the national final in the Wellington Town Hall on July 31.
The decision as to which groups will be selected for the semifinals is expected to take about two weeks.
Trio Chopin hopes it will be one of the selected ensembles.
Until then, Modi, Hannah and Annabel will be waiting with their fingers crossed.
